MONKEYING AROUND AGAIN

After seven months of being stuck inside watching soap operas, Agnes, Butch, Darla and Gracie were eager to see people again.

ERIN WOOD

After seven months of being stuck inside watching soap operas, Agnes, Butch, Darla and Gracie were eager to see people again.

"They're used to interacting with humans," Peoria Zoo Director Yvonne Strode said of the four black-handed spider monkeys who, until Tuesday, had been living inside the zoo's winter quarters while their new home was built. "We had to give them lots of things to do inside to keep them entertained. They had a TV, but it only got CBS."

While lounging around watching "The Young and the Restless" likely wasn't so bad, the spider monkeys were ready to move into their new home, which is twice the size of their old cage.

The monkeys' dwelling hadn't been updated since the 1950s, and it was in need of a makeover, Strode said. Faux rock formations have replaced the old tile walls, and the monkeys now have an artificial tree in the middle of their home. But the best part, Strode said, is that the monkeys aren't trapped behind bars anymore. A mesh facing, similar to chicken wire but sturdier, replaced the jail-like caging.

"People don't like to see animals behind bars," Strode said. "This gives the monkeys more freedom, and the public can see them better."

The spider monkeys took a few days to warm up to their new surroundings but now seem right at home.

"Agnes wouldn't walk on the new floor or swing from the vines the first day," Strode said. "And Butch was frustrated to find out he can't reach through the bars anymore to touch my face and grab my keys."

The spider monkeys still reside in the primate wing, but seven dusky leaf monkeys were moved to Alabama's Birmingham Zoo to make room for the new exhibit.

The ring-tailed lemurs also recently moved into a new home, and the mongoose lemurs and black and white ruffed lemurs are expected to move into updated dwellings within the next few weeks. The spider monkeys, though, get the most attention, Strode said.

"They interact with people and are more intelligent than the other primates here," Strode said. "They have real personalities and see the world more like we do."

Erin Wood can be reached at 686-3194 or ewood@pjstar.com.

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